Welcome to the 60th Utah Legislative Session!

Today marks the start of the 2013 General Legislative Session and we thought we’d walk you through today’s ceremony, in case you weren’t able to be here in person. You can watch recorded video of today’s events here.

Former Speaker Nolan Karras began by calling the House to Order. An invocation was given followed by the posting of the colors by the Utah National Guard, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the National Anthem, sung by the Utah Valley University Chamber Choir.

Next, Sandy D. Tenney was appointed as the Chief Clerk of the Utah House of Representatives for the 2013 General Session

Then re-elected members of the House then took the Oath of office, followed by newly-elected members, also known as the freshmen class.

Members then raised their hand to the square to recite the following:

“I (state your name)

Having been elected to the office of Representative, I do solemnly swear that I will support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of this State and that I will discharge the duties of my office with fidelity.”

Once all the Representatives were sworn in, both Minority Leader Rep. Jennifer Seelig, and Majority Leader Rep. Brad Dee made a motion to nominate Rep. Rebecca D. Lockhart as the Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives for the 60th Legislature.

Rep. Dee and Rep. Seelig then escorted Rep. Lockhart to the dais, where she was sworn in as Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives.

The Speaker then appointed committees to notify the Utah Senate and the Governor that the House was ready to do business and the House Rules committee was excused to meet.

When those committees returned the reading clerk introduced the bills, the interns and House employees were introduced, and the House adopted the Rules Committee report.

The House then recessed and returned in the afternoon to debate bills and hear the State of the Judiciary address given to the House by Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant.